The prior art has proposed various forms of intermittent electrical load energizer assemblies employed or employable in capacities as, for example, lamp flasher assemblies.
Such prior art flasher assemblies fall into the following categories, for example (a) "solid state" which are characterized by having no moving parts but which are physically relatively large because of all the various features required therein for protection against possibly destructive electrical, thermal and mechanical shock forces developed by associated structure; (b) "spring mass" oscillating flashers which employ a time-escapement mechanism, similar to a watch mechanism, whereby a pendulum carries a movable contact engageable with a mating or coacting fixed contact; such, because of their inherent design, are considerably sensitive to shock and vibration; (c) "thermal" flashers which, generally, employ either a vane or blade to provide for moving of an electrical contact as a function of a force caused by the heating of a resistance wire or a resistance ribbon; in the vane type, for example, the resistance wire is in series with the electrical contacts and when current flows in the circuit, the resistance wire elongates sufficiently to allow the vane to snap to its original configuration and, of course, the oscillation is provided by alternate heating and cooling of such resistance wire or ribbon; and (d) "magnetic" flashers which employ a magnetic field for both creating the oscillation cycle and opening and closing related electrical load circuit means.
The various intermittent energizer means heretofore proposed by the prior art have various deficiencies, such as, for example, over-burdening space requirements, and high susceptibility to failure due to causes arising out of heat, mechanical shock and/or vibrations and transient voltage conditions in related structure.
Accordingly, the invention as herein disclosed and described is primarily directed to the solution of the above and other attendant and related problems.